I have marble countertops in my kitchen and they don't look like this. Did they ever? Maybe for the first day and thereafter they showed every water spot and more. Their real enemy is lemon juice. You don't want to know what that does to marble. The acid etches it!! Luckily over time the patina evens out if you use your kitchen a lot. I love the way this 'virgin' kitchen looks. I never sealed my countertops and my marble was honed. I've read lots of articles that say even the sealing doesn't help. I just tell myself mine is a 1920s kitchen. Would I use marble again? I'm not sure. Have you had a similar experience? photo
This is my kitchen counter snapped with my iPhone just a few minutes ago. The light from the window over the sink highlights many of my spots and the overhead spotlight is shining on the lemon juice spots that are etched in the marble on the edge over the dishwasher. See what I mean? Overhead reflections really show up the spots. That's why I almost never turn on my under the counter lights.